Don't Wait - make 2022 the year you quit smoking for good
It's never too late to quit smoking - that's the message in the run up to No Smoking Day 2022 (March 9) - and the benefits begin within 20 minutes.
Quitting can bring benefits to almost anyone at any age as the body begins to recover. Stopping can also save you money and reduce stress and anxiety within weeks.
Dr Ruth Sharrock, respiratory consultant, said: "I know some people think it's too late to stop, or worry they will struggle to quit, but it is always worth trying. Each time you make a quit attempt, you are getting closer to success.
"I see far too often just how harmful smoking can be, but I also see all the amazing benefits quitting can bring, with patients who have smoked for many years getting a new lease of life from quitting smoking.
"The benefits of quitting are real. As well as reducing the risk of serious disease it can make you feel so much better, give you more energy and help you to breathe more easily."
Smoking causes 16 types of cancer, heart disease, dementia, stroke and COPD and makes us more vulnerable to infectious diseases such as Covid and flu.
Many people try to quit smoking with willpower alone, but it's much easier to go smoke-free with the right help. There are lots of support options and quitting aids available such as Nicotine Replacement or switching completely to vaping to reduce some of the stress and anxiety that cravings can temporarily cause. Your pharmacist or local stop smoking service can advise on the best quitting aids to help you.
Stopping smoking can also reduce stress and improve mental health with the benefits seen after just six weeks [i], something which is sure to motivate many to quit after a dreadful year in which worry levels have soared.
In addition, there are free local Stop Smoking services near you which can help you develop a plan to help you stop. With their help, you're 3 times as likely to quit for good.
Here's how your body recovers
After 20 minutes
Your pulse rate starts to return to normal.
After 8 hours
Your oxygen levels are recovering, and the level of harmful carbon monoxide in your blood will have reduced by half.
After 48 hours
All carbon monoxide is flushed out. Your lungs are clearing out mucus and your senses of taste and smell are improving.
After 72 hours
If you notice that breathing feels easier, it's because your bronchial tubes have started to relax. Also your energy will be increasing.
After 2-12 weeks
Blood will be pumping through to your heart and muscles much better because your circulation will have improved.
After 6 weeks
Smokers who stop have better mental health than those who continue to smoke. One study found that benefits could be seen as soon as six weeks and were maintained even a number of years after stopping.
After 3-9 months
Any coughs, wheezing or breathing problems will be improving as your lung function increases.
After 1 year
Great news! Your risk of heart attack will have halved compared with a smoker's.
After 10 years
Your risk of death from lung cancer will have halved compared with a smoker's.
Source: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ (opens new window)
To get started, contact your pharmacy, GP or to find local support and free online quitting tools visit https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ (opens new window)
More ways to quit than ever
Quitting smoking can be easier and less stressful with the right support. Several different treatments are available from shops, pharmacies and on prescription to help you beat your addiction and reduce withdrawal symptoms:
Nicotine Replacement Therapyprovides you with a low level of nicotine, without the tar, carbon monoxide and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco smoke. It can help reduce withdrawal effects, such as bad moods and cravings which may occur when you stop smoking. Using a patch PLUS a faster-acting type of NRT like mouth spray, gum, lozenge or inhalator gives you a better chance of stopping smoking than using one type of NRT alone.
Bupropion (brand name Zyban) is a medicine originally used to treat depression, but it has since been found to help people quit smoking. It's not clear exactly how it works, but it's thought to have an effect on the parts of the brain involved in addictive behaviour.
E-cigarettes allow people to inhale nicotine without most of the harmful effects of smoking, as the vapour contains no tar or carbon monoxide. Research has found that e-cigarettes can help you give up smoking, so you may want to try them rather than the medications listed above. E-cigarettes are not currently available on prescription, although vaping is much cheaper than smoking.
Research has shown that all these methods can be effective. Importantly, evidence shows that they are most effective if used alongside support from an NHS stop smoking service.
To get started, contact your pharmacy, GP or to find local support and free online quitting tools visit https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ (opens new window)
Smokefree savings
The cost of living is a worry for everyone, but quitting smoking can save you a packet:
- One week's savings - around £36.
- Two weeks' savings - around £72.
- Three weeks' savings - around £109 would pay for a family food shop.
- Four weeks' savings of £144 would buy a premium Netflix subscription for a year [Source: Netflix].
- If you want to get fit and active as a family, six months' savings of £949 could buy two children's bikes and two adults' bikes [Source: Halfords].
- £1,899 saved in a year could give you a deposit on a new car, or a trip away
[i] https://ash.org.uk/media-and-news/press-releases-media-and-news/smokers-who-stop-happier-in-long-term-no-smoking-day-2021/ (opens new window)
It's never too late to quit smoking - that's the message in the run up to No Smoking Day 2022 (March 9) - and the benefits begin within 20 minutes.
Quitting can bring benefits to almost anyone at any age as the body begins to recover. Stopping can also save you money and reduce stress and anxiety within weeks.
Dr Ruth Sharrock, respiratory consultant, said: "I know some people think it's too late to stop, or worry they will struggle to quit, but it is always worth trying. Each time you make a quit attempt, you are getting closer to success.
"I see far too often just how harmful smoking can be, but I also see all the amazing benefits quitting can bring, with patients who have smoked for many years getting a new lease of life from quitting smoking.
"The benefits of quitting are real. As well as reducing the risk of serious disease it can make you feel so much better, give you more energy and help you to breathe more easily."
Smoking causes 16 types of cancer, heart disease, dementia, stroke and COPD and makes us more vulnerable to infectious diseases such as Covid and flu.
Many people try to quit smoking with willpower alone, but it's much easier to go smoke-free with the right help. There are lots of support options and quitting aids available such as Nicotine Replacement or switching completely to vaping to reduce some of the stress and anxiety that cravings can temporarily cause. Your pharmacist or local stop smoking service can advise on the best quitting aids to help you.
Stopping smoking can also reduce stress and improve mental health with the benefits seen after just six weeks [i], something which is sure to motivate many to quit after a dreadful year in which worry levels have soared.
In addition, there are free local Stop Smoking services near you which can help you develop a plan to help you stop. With their help, you're 3 times as likely to quit for good.
Here's how your body recovers
After 20 minutes
Your pulse rate starts to return to normal.
After 8 hours
Your oxygen levels are recovering, and the level of harmful carbon monoxide in your blood will have reduced by half.
After 48 hours
All carbon monoxide is flushed out. Your lungs are clearing out mucus and your senses of taste and smell are improving.
After 72 hours
If you notice that breathing feels easier, it's because your bronchial tubes have started to relax. Also your energy will be increasing.
After 2-12 weeks
Blood will be pumping through to your heart and muscles much better because your circulation will have improved.
After 6 weeks
Smokers who stop have better mental health than those who continue to smoke. One study found that benefits could be seen as soon as six weeks and were maintained even a number of years after stopping.
After 3-9 months
Any coughs, wheezing or breathing problems will be improving as your lung function increases.
After 1 year
Great news! Your risk of heart attack will have halved compared with a smoker's.
After 10 years
Your risk of death from lung cancer will have halved compared with a smoker's.
Source: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ (opens new window)
To get started, contact your pharmacy, GP or to find local support and free online quitting tools visit https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ (opens new window)
More ways to quit than ever
Quitting smoking can be easier and less stressful with the right support. Several different treatments are available from shops, pharmacies and on prescription to help you beat your addiction and reduce withdrawal symptoms:
Nicotine Replacement Therapyprovides you with a low level of nicotine, without the tar, carbon monoxide and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco smoke. It can help reduce withdrawal effects, such as bad moods and cravings which may occur when you stop smoking. Using a patch PLUS a faster-acting type of NRT like mouth spray, gum, lozenge or inhalator gives you a better chance of stopping smoking than using one type of NRT alone.
Bupropion (brand name Zyban) is a medicine originally used to treat depression, but it has since been found to help people quit smoking. It's not clear exactly how it works, but it's thought to have an effect on the parts of the brain involved in addictive behaviour.
E-cigarettes allow people to inhale nicotine without most of the harmful effects of smoking, as the vapour contains no tar or carbon monoxide. Research has found that e-cigarettes can help you give up smoking, so you may want to try them rather than the medications listed above. E-cigarettes are not currently available on prescription, although vaping is much cheaper than smoking.
Research has shown that all these methods can be effective. Importantly, evidence shows that they are most effective if used alongside support from an NHS stop smoking service.
To get started, contact your pharmacy, GP or to find local support and free online quitting tools visit https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ (opens new window)
Smokefree savings
The cost of living is a worry for everyone, but quitting smoking can save you a packet:
- One week's savings - around £36.
- Two weeks' savings - around £72.
- Three weeks' savings - around £109 would pay for a family food shop.
- Four weeks' savings of £144 would buy a premium Netflix subscription for a year [Source: Netflix].
- If you want to get fit and active as a family, six months' savings of £949 could buy two children's bikes and two adults' bikes [Source: Halfords].
- £1,899 saved in a year could give you a deposit on a new car, or a trip away
[i] https://ash.org.uk/media-and-news/press-releases-media-and-news/smokers-who-stop-happier-in-long-term-no-smoking-day-2021/ (opens new window)
